Voting machine



Allg- 31, 1937. A. N. GUsTAvsoN v 2,091,590

VOTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22. 1935 me/whom Patented ug. 31, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Application November 22, 1935, Serial No. 51,018

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and more particularly to voting machines of the type in which votes are cast by the manipulation of pointers, and in means for 5 preventing manipulation of certain pointers.

The preferred embodiment of the invention discloses means in the form of a shield of any desired length which may be readily attached to the keyboard of a voting machine to con- 'lo ceal and prevent the manipulation of any desired number of pointers in any party row.

Heretofore, considerable diiculty has been er1- countered in educating voters in the proper use of a voting machine. It has been found that "l' all pointers not required in a given election must be concealed or blocked off on the face of the machine. This is necessary to prevent voters from manipulating pointers not required for voting and by which a ballot might be nullified ,2D or made invalid. Shields of various kinds have been provided for the purpose of preventing this kind of error on the part of voters. My patent No. 1,747,114 discloses a shield adapted to cover unused pointers when questions involving a yes or no vote requires more than two pointer spaces. My Patent 1,850,873 provides party row covers or shields by which to block 01T party rows of pointers not required at a given election. These shields are frequently used in small or rural districts having an insufficient number of parties to utilize the number of party rows provided on the machine, or to cover unused party rows of pointers for special elections.

Although the covers and shields disclosed in the above numbered patents serve the purpose for which they are intended, namely, of preventing a voter, unused to the use of voting machines, from throwing away his ballot, they do not fully meet present requirements for the use 4p of voting machines. It has been found, in some instances where shields have been provided to cover unused pointers, that a voter would pry oi a shield, being prompted by curiosity or maliciousness. 'Ihus pointers are uncovered and the next voter is enabled to manipulate a pointer not intended for use. Since considerable time is required to set up a voting machine for election, particularly in metropolitan areas, it has been considered suflicient to simply cover or conceal unused pointers without disconnecting them from the interlocking mechanism of the machine. Inasmuch as voting machines of the general class to which this invention is directed have been in use for a number of years, many voters, and particularly unscrupulous ones, have (Cl. 23S-51) learned that by the removal of a shield and the consequent uncovering of unused pointers, many voters not familiar with a voting machine, will actuate some one of the unused pointers and thus be prevented from registering a vote for the 5 preferred candidates.

It has, therefore, become necessary to provide means for securing shields to the keyboard of a voting machine in such a manner that they cannot be readily picked off the keyboard but must 10 be removed by a tool especially adapted therefore.

One of the objects of the invention, therefore, lies in the provision of a shield by which to conceal unused pointers on the keyboard of a voting 15 machine.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a shield for pointers having parts intertting with a pointer to prevent manipulation thereof. i

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a pointer concealing shield which is secured against inadvertent removal.

Another and further object of the invention lies in the provision of a pointer concealing 1- shield which can only be attached or removed by a special tool for this purpose.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specication 39 taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a portion of the keyboard of a voting machine showing two different sized shields in place and covering cer- ,1;,3 tain of the pointers;

2 is a perspective view of a shield adapted to conceal four pointers, and the tool by which it may be attached or removed from the ma- Chine; .5()

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the shield shown in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a View taken from the rear of the pointers and shows means by which the shield is secured to the pointers, being taken substant; tially on the line 4 4 of Figure 5;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Fig. 6 is a modied shield, being shown in posi- 50 tion of use in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, a portion of the keyboard of a Voting machine is shown, generally indicated by the reference numeral l0. As is well known, the keyboard contains a plurality of 55 rows il of pointers l2. Elach pointer is mounted on the face of the machine, being supported by a shaft i3.

I4 which lies somewhat removed from the key- 5 board and provides space for a candidate strip i5. Each arm terminates in a pointed portion i6 from which a knob il projects. The pointers of the voting machine are uniformly spaced, and consequently, a shield arranged to cover a given number of pointers in one of the rows Il will cover a corresponding number of pointers in any other row of the keyboard.

A shield i8 is adapted to be mounted on the keyboard to conceal and prevent operation of a given number of pointers, in the present instance, four. The shield takes the form of a strip having a wall portion i9 which terminates along the upper edge thereof in a spaced return bent flange 20. The flange 2li is cut away to 20 provide slots 2l. The lower edge of the shield is formed with inclined step portions 22. vThese portions are in substantially the same inclined plane as that of the pointers when said pointers are in non-voting position. Projecting outward- '35 ly from each portion 22 is a cap 23 which may be secured to or made integral with the portion 22. Each cap has. a recess 2d which is of such dimension as to receive the knob il forming part of the pointer l2. One or more annular 30 indentures 25 is made in the Wall portion I9.

An opening 25 projects through the base of the indenture and a shaft 2? mounted ther-ein. The

end of the shaft within the indenture 25 is enlarged to form a head 28 which, in the instant .5.35 disclosure, is formed with a hexagonal socket 29. Mounted on the portion of the shaft projecting to the rear of the shield is a latch bar 3l. The bar is secured against movement relative to the shaft 2l in any suitable manner as by forming a head 32 on said shaft. The shaft 2l and pivotal end of the bar 3l are located adjacent one end of slot 2i. This slot is of a size to receive the free end bar 3i when said bar is rotated by rotation` of shaft 2.

When it is ydesired to conceal and prevent manipulation of four pointers in one of the party rows il, a shield of the size shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive is provided. The shield is mounted on the pointers in a manner such that the knobs il project into recesses 24 of caps 23. The flange 2d of the shield preferably rests against a flanged edge of the candidate strip l5 of the party row next above. Inasmuch as the bar 3l is rearwardly spaced from the wall portion i9 of the shield by reason of its pivotalmounting on shaft 2l located in the indented portion 25, said bar lies in .a plane to the rear of the vertical plane of arm la. When the shield is first positioned upon the pointers, bars 3i are in the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. To rotate these bars to the position shown in Figure 4 and cause them to engage the rear face of pointer arms I4, a suitable key or tool 34 is provided. This tool comprises a handle portion 35 from which projects a hexagonal shaft 36. The shaft is adapted to enter the hexagonal opening 29 of shaft 2l and when engaged and rotated by the handle portion causes lug 3| to move downwardly to a position behind and in frictional The pointer l2 comprises an arm4 contact with arm I4. It is evident that the shield cannot be inadventently dislodged nor deliberately removed to gain access to the concealed pointers unless the voter desiring to remove the shield is equipped with a key or tool having the proper sized hexagonal shaft to fit the hexagonal opening 29. It is to be understood, since the key or tool 31E might, after one election, be duplicated by a voter in order to remove a shield in the next election, that the shape of the socket and corresponding portion of the tool may, and will undoubtedly be varied as deemed necessary, to prevent tampering with and removal of a shield.

A modication of the structure above described is shown in Figures 1 and 6. This shield 50, while adapted to conceal and secure only one pointer in inoperative position, may be of any desired length for the purpose of concealing any given number of pointers similarly to shield i8. Shield 30, however, is provided with a portion t2, corresponding to portion 2'2 of the above described modification, in which portion an opening 43 is made. The opening, when the shield is mounted onthe keyboard, permits the knob l'l to project therethrough and effectively secures the pointer against manipulation fully as well as do caps 23. The shield Li@ is identical in all other respects with shield Vi8 and will not, therefore, be further described.

It is to be understood that although applicant has shown and described only two modifications of a shield adapted to be mounted on the keyboard of a voting machine for the purpose of concealing and preventing manipulation of a given number of pointers, it is contemplated to modify the shield as may be found necessary to adapt it for concealing an increased number of pointers against manipulation. It will be further understood that it is contemplated, not only to provide additional means for securing a shield in place, but that the key or tool by which the latch bar is actuated to secure the shield may be varied for the purpose of making it extremely diicult, if not impossible, for a voter to actuate one or more latches and effect removal. Modifications and variations of the structure shown and described are, therefore, contemplated in so far as they lie within the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by the hereunto annexed claim.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:-

In a voting machine having a keyboard and a plurality of pointers mounted on said keyboard for pivotal movement thereover, each of said pointers including an arm, a knob on said arm,

a shield adapted to be mounted on and concealV a predetermined number of pointers, means on said shield individually engaging and interiittingl each knob of said predetermined number of pointers, a latch bar on said shield, said latch bar being rotatable to engage a pointer arm and secure said shield in place, and means associable with and adapted to actuate said bar to secure or release said shield with respect to said pointers.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON. 

